Trooper Station, Friday

[firstofitskind]

A watermelon plant had replaced the water cooler, today.

When Liam questioned it, all he got was a shrug from Ralph and an explanation that he couldn’t make it work in his apartment.

“Where do you even live, anyway?” Liam asked. “Any of you? I don’t see your information in the directory.”

Ralph and Calvin just shrugged, and Hugo sidled out of the room, muttering something about going to catalog evidence.

[ooc I have very little work to do today. so open!]

Comments

[bookbeltof_love]

Around lunch, there was a daughter poking her head around the door into his office.

"Got time for company, Dad?????????????"

[firstofitskind]

“I always have time for your company,” Liam told her. “Now, if you were the Bee Lady, that might be a different story...”

The Bee Lady honestly wasn’t that bad, but she did like to go on.

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina giggled as she slipped through the door to take a seat.

"I mean, like, I know you want me to feel free to........," Nina hesitated, "visit," impose, she meant impose, "but if you really were ever busy with a case, like, that's more important?????????"

[firstofitskind]

“As unlikely as that might be,” Liam pointed out drily. “But even then, I’ve got three other guys here who’d love a case to work on. So if you ever needed me for something, I’d find a way.”

[bookbeltof_love]

Hey, at least they had more work than the fire station guy?

"Yes, Dad," she said primly. It was hard to say if she actually believed him or not--she wanted to but, like... well.

Baby steps.

"You should, like, do a teambuilding retreat with the guys!!!!!!!!!" she suggested. "Or, like, monthly training sessions????????"

[grenadesandohana]

Steve came in and stared at the watermelon plant. "It is worth asking?" he asked Liam, pointing to it.

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina looked up from the book she was reading.

"Hi, Dad's coworker!!!!!!!!!!" she chirped.

She was totally just hanging around because she could just hang around.

[firstofitskind]

“Are you a fan of cagey non-answers?” Liam asked in return, fully aware that was a cagey non-answer in and of itself.

[firstofitskind]

“That’s-“ Liam blinked. “A really good idea, actually. Can’t believe I didn’t think of it.”

Mostly because he was so used to being the outsider that considering himself part of ‘the team’ didn’t really come naturally.

[bookbeltof_love]

She beamed at having helped.

Sorry, Liam, but some part of her would always desperately love being useful.

"I think it would be good for all of you," she said, nodding. "And, like, it would give you all something to look forward to," or hate, "and to plan!!!!!!!!"

[firstofitskind]

Hey, hard same, Nina. Remember that freak out you’d basically had at the idea, not that long ago?

“Steve and Danny pretty much have the ‘team’ thing down amongst themselves,” Liam acknowledged. “And I know they have a team back home as well. So I’m sure they’ve done this sort of thing before. Diego... I have no idea,” he admitted.

[bookbeltof_love]

Of course she remembered but getting a gift to make herself be useful and being useful out of the blue were two separate things entirely!

"All the better to shake it up!!!!!!!!!" she said brightly. "Or, like, ooooh, you guys could patrol the island in pairs???????? Only alternate the pairs on, like, a monthly basis or something so no one gets too used to only working with one partner????????"

[firstofitskind]

Well, and also she’d been pretty upset about the implication that Liam liked being useful.

“... I’m not sure I want to know how a rickshaw chase would end if it involved Steve and Diego,” Liam snickered.

The ones with Steve and Danny were bad enough, honestly.

[bookbeltof_love]

Of course. He was dad.

He didn't need to be anything else.

"But, like, better to have an idea of how they work together before that happens, right????????" she wondered.

[grenadesandohana]

"Aloha," Steve replied with a laconic wave. "You interning?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Is anyone?" Steve replied, arching his eyebrows.

[bookbeltof_love]

"I'd be the best intern," she mused. "But I don't know that Dad would hire me.........."

[firstofitskind]

“Very true,” Liam agreed. “How’s your week going? Finish your project on time?”

Summer’s text hadn’t yet been sent, or he’d already know the answer there.

[bookbeltof_love]

"Sure did!!!!!!!!" she said happily. "Are you coming to see it????????? She's throwing a party tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!"

[firstofitskind]

“Giving or receiving?”

[firstofitskind]

“Absolutely,” Liam promised. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

[bookbeltof_love]

"I'm super excited," she admitted. "Not even Summer knows what it's going to look like yet!!!!!!!!!!!"

[grenadesandohana]

Steve laughed. "You know I was in intelligence, right?"

[firstofitskind]

“Why do you think I asked?” Liam replied.

[grenadesandohana]

"Nepotism in the police station is probably not great," Steve said, smiling.